| Gold | $2,000,000 |
| Phosphate | 55,000 |
| Balata | 20,000 |
| Rosewood oil | 46,000 |
| Rosewood | 19,000 |
| Cocoa and hide | 2,400,000 |
Most of this was shipped direct to the mother country.
Of the imports of $2,000,000, 70 per cent. came from France, our share being $300,000. It is doubtful if our trade here could be materially increased. Cayenne is the only town to visit, and may be best reached from Trinidad or from the French possession of Martinique or Guadaloupe. French money is in use and while dealers give drafts on Paris or London, most of them having business with New York, do so through some branch of the Credit Lyonnais.
No traveler’s fee is required. French is spoken.
All of these possessions are ruled by officials sent from the motherland for a term of years.
XIX
EUROPEAN POSSESSIONS IN THE WEST INDIES
Four European countries, England, France, Holland and Denmark, have possessions in the West Indies. They are readily accessible, cleanly, attractive, hospitable, and will repay a visit both for business and for pleasure. All of them are dependent on the outside world for their staples and food supplies, and to-day are receiving great attention at the hands of the Canadian merchant, who has in many instances supplanted us, especially in such necessities as flour, dried fish, butter, potatoes, onions, cheese and fruits. Their trade is well worth catering to, and much of it can be diverted into American channels. With the exception of Martinique and Guadeloupe, English is spoken universally, even in the Dutch and Danish islands.
The Dutch colony of Curaçao consists of the island of that name, and the adjacent islands of Bonaire, Aruba, St. Eustache, Saba and the southern part of St. Martin, the northern portion belonging to France. These islands are small and situated about 60 miles off the coast of Venezuela to the north, having a total area of 403 square miles, Curaçao being the largest, and about 30 miles long with an area of 210 square miles. They are mostly all of coral formation and cannot raise enough food for the sustenance of their 50,000 inhabitants, 30,000 of whom reside in Curaçao.
Wilhelmstadt with 25,000 is the capital and the residence of the Dutch Governor. It is well equipped for coaling and provisioning ships, being a free port, and as it is in the beaten path of travel from Europe to the Panama Canal its future seems bright.
The inhabitants of these islands are poor whites who have intermarried and a few blacks. Curaçao, however, is the home of many wealthy Jews, whose forefathers were banished from Portugal, these islands having formerly belonged to that country. They are all merchants or traders, owning coasting vessels that ply along the Latin American shores and the other islands. Their credit is good and they are thoroughly up-to-date in their business methods.